The Prophecy: Aftershocks

"Go slowly," Tempest advised. "If something feels out of place, stop and let me check it. You had some serious burns that are still healing, so it will hurt. If you aren't ready, we won't do it." He peeled back the sheets, but gestured for Caspian to remain lying down. "This isn't the time to rush things," he warned.

Cat growled and gave another frustrated huff, his tail swinging now that he was uncovered. He wasn't afraid of pain. He wasn't truly afraid of anything, but he wanted this to happen, so he wouldn't argue. Not that he could give much of an argument besides bared teeth.

He let out a pained roar as he began, one that would have echoed across the room if not for a silencing spell on the curtains. His skin felt stretched too tightly, and as paws shrank into hands, he could feel the wound in his shoulder protest. "Ahhh," he groaned, eyes watering. He was glad he was lying down.

His clothes were burned almost entirely away, skin crisped and hair patchy at best. "Did I do it?" he asked. It was hard to tell one part from another right now.

"You did," Tempest said. "Now lie still. I'm going to have to cut your clothes away." He picked up the lightest sheet and lay it across Caspian's lower body for modesty. "Your shoulder seems to have healed," he said, starting with the injury he'd been most worried about. "There's a little scarring, but I applied dittany as soon as I could, so it's hardly visible. You may be able to feel it, but it's as healthy as it can be. He used Dark Magic on you. You're lucky to be alive. Hold still," he added.

Cat groaned. He wanted to look, or at least see if he could feel it, but the Healer must have had his veela powers turned on because he was feeling a little doped up. He did his best not to move while he was checked out. "Did I at least get him back?" he asked. He remembered blood, but was fairly sure it had been his own.

"Yes," Tempest answered. He wrapped his hands gently around Caspian's upper arm and moved the shoulder in a circle, then reversed directions. It had healed nicely. This was some of his best work as far as deep tissue wounds went.

"Saren's wand was taken away and he's been suspended for the rest of term, pending some investigations. You're lucky to be alive, though. I didn't hear a heartbeat when I reached you. It was almost too slow for my wand to pick up at all. I'm lifting the side of the blanket..."

Blood had been cleaned away so the tatters of cloth he pulled out were clean, but there was nothing salvageable besides a heavy belt slung around the young man's hips. Even the boots were ruined. "I'm undoing your belt," he said, pushing the blanket down just enough to find the fastening.

Cat personally didn't care what the Healer saw, but he knew the routine of medical treatment. "Is my brother okay? And Marius?" He'd seen them, but he didn't know if they'd been hurt too. Saren was freaking batsh~ insane and treated his brother worse than a dog. Who knew what had happened while he'd been out?

"They're okay," Tempest said. "Your brother must be an excellent duelist to have stood up against Saren the way he did. Most of his injuries were bruises. He had a few minor burns and needed a spell to get his neck comfortable, but he's all healed up now. Marius is mostly in shock. If you feel up to talking to him later, it might do some real good. Can you turn onto your side?"

Cat didn't need to be told what side to move onto. There was no way he was lying on that scarred shoulder just yet. However healed it might be, it still ached somewhere inside near the bone. He sucked a hard breath through his teeth as he rolled to his right side, then lifted himself enough to get his belt off.

"So how much trouble am I in?" he asked at last.

"You've got a warning," Tempest said. "There were a lot of witnesses who saw Saren throw the first spell, and Dark Magic at that. His injuries were able to be healed in a matter of minutes, and he attacked a minor. The Ministry doesn't like abuse of animagus powers, but it looked like self-defense."

Tempest hovered his wand over this patch of burned skin or that, minimizing the pain. "I'm going to put some burn-healing paste on," he warned. "I'm not getting fresh." All the same, it didn't hurt to radiate a little more veela power to ease any discomfort.

I don't want to hear what happened, I want to see my son!

Castiel lifted his head from Mari's shoulder at the sound of a familiar female voice in a rare temper. His mother tended toward melancholy, and this sounded like fury. Reflex had him pulling away and straightening his posture, subtly checking that he wasn't in the path between the hospital doors and his brother.

The door burst open, admitting a tall, slender woman with olive skin and thick black hair piled artfully atop her head. She wore a dress that trailed to her ankles, modest and elegant, in a dusky shade of violet that was nearly grey. Behind her was a man in a sleek black Muggle business suit, dark hair brushed back from his forehead and just tickling his collar.

"Castiel, my baby, are you all right? Marius, come here both of you." She wrapped the two of them in a hug that felt very awkward from Castiel's side. His mother wasn't at all a touchy-feely person. "Where is your brother, Castiel?"

"The Healer is looking at him, he just woke up."

Mari remained silent where he could, though he enjoyed the hug. He couldn't help himself, hugs were good. "I'm sorry about Saren," he mumbled, whether or not it was appropriate. He hated that Caspian had gotten hurt and wanted Castiel's family to know it. Sure, Castiel knew, but who knew about the rest of them?

Castiel's mother bestowed a rare kiss on Mari's forehead. "Don't you apologize for him," she said. She stepped back enough to see him properly, then began an attempt to smooth his hair and straighten his collar. "You are not Saren, Marius. You are a golden child, and you will always be welcome in our family."

When Marius was suitably arranged, she turned to Castiel and arched a brow at his makeup. She didn't approve, but at least he wasn't wild like Caspian. "You'll tell me what happened after I see him," she said, and Castiel nodded. Her eyes softened a bit. "Are you all right, darling?"

Castiel nodded again, being brave now that his mother was here. "The Healer said we had to wait until he was done."

"You do that," his mother said, and turned to the curtains.

Cat was very much enjoying his treatment, and had in fact forgotten about the whole part-veela thing. All he knew was that lying there letting the man smooth burn paste over him was a dream, and he wasn't usually the type to think things like that. He lay, knees partially bent, head tipped back. He'd been asked not to talk and so he wouldn't, even if he really wanted to tell the Healer how completely amazing he was. Not to mention the most gorgeous person on the planet.

He peeled open his eyes at the sound of the curtains moving and swore, then groaned as he regretted moving into a position that disguised just how much he'd been enjoying things. "Mom! Get out of here!"

She might have, but she was hit with a wave of veela charm as well, and she looked from her eldest, who was mostly bare, to the Healer. Then brought her hands together to check her wedding ring.

Tempest's thumbs were tucked beneath Caspian's jaw, his fingers smoothing burn paste behind and into the shells of his patient's ears, when the interruption hit. He didn't like interruptions in the least, and charm fled for temper that he strained to pull in.

"If you could leave until I'm finished," he began, more than a little annoyed.

With the room's aura palpably changed, both patient and parent reacted. Cat became painfully aware of his body's current state, and his mother did as well. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked away.

"I want to know how my son is doing," she said, clasping her hands in front of her. "Stable isn't enough, and I've heard all I want to about where Saren is." She spat the name more than said it. "Are there scars? Is there any permanent damage?"

"Only to my pride, Mom," Cat groaned. "I'm covered in ink, you can't see anything." Except, perhaps, that he found the Healer attractive. He'd never really told her he was bi, though he'd never taken pains to hide it either. Well, she knew now.